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ADDED SATURDAY 16/02/2008 It is getting close to that time of the year again, that even though cricket is still being played at these schools, rugby is beginning to come into focus. There have been some interesting developments at these places over the off season, and others I am sure I do not know about. I'm not going to make any tips here, the tips supplied will be from others. Just a quick preview on the following GPS schools, some I know more about than others. I am sure the gaps will fill as time unfolds. TSS, Nudgee, Brisbane State High School, Churchie, Ipswich Grammar School, Brisbane Boys College, Toowoomba Grammar School, Gregory Terrace, Brisbane Grammar School, and my opinions. TSS: Starting with last year's premiers, undefeated premiers at that, they have certainly lost some key personnel, none a more prevalent loss than innovative young coach Matthew Taylor, known affectionately around the traps as Tatsy. He heads off on the next chapter of his life and takes up a coaching appointment with the Qld Reds academy ( I think). He is a fine coach with some predicting he will coach the Wallabies one day. However TSS won't be left in the lurch, with last year's assistant whose name escapes me at the minute taking over the role. All those Aussie Schoolboy players are gone though, and gun repeating halfback Mark Swanepoel sidelined for most, if not all of the season after an off season knee reconstruction, they will be looking to build a side around experienced players like Simon Morahan, Jarryd Butler, and young Slipper will have to step up, but I am sure he can do that. I have heard that there are a couple to a few new "rugby" arrivals at the school, and we will watch TSS progress with some interest in 2008. Most seem wary of them, but don't think they will be the same force as they were in 2007. NUDGEE COLLEGE: Coached by the very passionate and effervescent Todd Dammers these guys are the ones that everyone is wary of. I have only spoken to one person that says these guys won't be head and shoulders above everyone in season 2008. JP Pradaud will headline the scrum, a very impressive operator come scrum time, and having knowledge of Todd's coaching, I am sure a hard line hard headed pack will be behind him. Watch very closely for the machine like Ted Postal to be an enormous force in 2008 in this Nudgee pack. Of course in the backline is the silken skills of Stefano Hunt and Elih Bailey. I don't think Stef will end up at 10, I hope not, I really want to see him use his deft running and feet skills in 2008. I know he is one player highly rated by Bronco guru Cyril Connell, and hopefully by the Reds as well. In form he is pretty to watch, almost impossible to tackle, a bit like my old adage of tackling smoke. Nudgee will have to move on post the James O'Connor era, and Stef Hunt is probably the man to fill the O'Connor shoes. And he is related to nice guy prop, giant Herman Hunt, so even being related to a prop elevates you in status, only in my eyes, just joking. Elih Bailey like Stef, will be a big handful, and will be part of what is the guiding light for Nudgee should they finish in first position in 2008. All the guns are tipping Nudgee to finish first, but they do have a couple of hurdles. We will get to them in the course of this rambling. BRISBANE STATE HIGH SCHOOL: Coached by legendary Reds flyhalf Graham Noon and David Eagle, again I think these guys will be tough to beat. Their forward pack will be something special and quite tough, based around Jordan Tuapou, Paul Alo Emile, David Feao, and that hooker, whose name again escapes me. Plenty of representative players from 2007 in that forward mix. However, four big shoes, two pairs for these guys to fill, the shoes of Brent Hamlin and his good mate and halves partner, Matthew To'omua. I hear they are both enjoying Canberra very much, I guess learning to drive around in circles in that crazy road system, but I would remind them that it is not cold yet, and hope they continue to enjoy the place as much in that beautiful crispness of winter. I have no idea who will replace these two guys, and I am sure coach Eagle and Noon will be keeping their ideas close to their chest too, we will have to wait and see. However in the backline they will have one of the better balanced athletes you could hope to see in Joel Faulkner, runs quite fast and knows his way to the tryline, a very balanced performer that I am sure the guys would be looking to to be one of the backline leaders throughout the year. If Nudgee are the favourites, then look for these guys to be one of three or four challengers to that title. CHURCHIE: Don't know too much about Churchie, except for the fact that Tommy Barker is a very good coach of this game, and probably should have been coaching Queensland after the Connolly era, but that is another story. They will be very well prepared, and a star in the making is young James May, has been nicknamed by some as a"may"zing, but this kiddie is quick and elusive, and hopefully will fill the role of fullback and not be stifled in closer. Churchie too will be moving on from the Aidan Toua and Jake Schatz era, and before that Pocock and Quade Cooper. Aidan and Jake will both be very tough to replace. The pundits out there expect Churchie to be there and thereabouts, maybe not winning but certainly giving everyone some grief on the way through. THE SMOKIES: Now people are calling these guys smokies, maybe one of them, but certainly not IGS, IGS had a great, and big Under 16 side last year, and again they will be right in the mix come end of season time. These guys were quite big and dominant in the Under 16 competition in 2007, some very good players out there. The Grapevine informs me that some more have shown up, and these guys will be looking to hard hitting hard running Nemo at number 8 to show them the way. Again the pundits think these guys may go all the way, with one scenario put to me the other day being that NC and IGS are undefeated coming into the last round when they play each other up at Nudgee, setting up a blockbuster season finish. Time will tell, but these guys should be in the mix too. I don't know too much about these guys either, but people tell me that almost all of their backline were Under 16 last year, or are returning this year, and I was impressed with Clargie Saltmere's (if he is in fact returning) game against Matt To'omua in their clash in 2007. He will be a much better general of the backline for the 2007 experience. I also understand that a couple of others in the forwards will be back, including repeating prop/hooker/number 8 Robert Middlin, and he will no doubt led them around the paddock, and will add some genuine starch to them up front. I am personally going to add TGS to the smokies list. People I speak to expect them to come 8th or 9th, and that may still end up being the case, but there are a couple of reasons to expect them to be way more competitive in 2008, and anyone off their game on the day they play them, could be sent home with a loss under their belts. Reason one: A much needed change of coach to Peter Bromley, one of our local level 3's, and certainly one of the best coaches I have seen, up there with anyone and maybe even ahead of anyone coaching at this level. Pete will do great things up there I am sure, if he is allowed to and will develop this outfit into a very competitive unit. Reason two: The addition of four players in particular that given Pete's tutelage, and correct learning time, coupled with being placed in the right positions for their skillsets, will or can really make a difference. Three of them come out of a rugby league background and are part of the Broncos programme. One, Brandon Purcell I have had at College level, and he looks to me like a very gifted space or broken field runner. Plenty of pace, nice hands, good eye for space, and good running lines. Two, and I saw him for the first time last night playing his first game of rugby in the Friday night club competition, Ben Router, from Gatton and a Qld Under 15 rugby league operative, big and powerful runner and ball carrier. In my brief glimpse of him he looks like a 13 or 6 to me, maybe a 12. There is another league guy whose name also escapes me at this time, but in the Broncos programme. Guy number 4 is Alex Griffiths, I had him in the College last year, good kid, good player, but his physical development will really stand him in very good stead in 2008. Not sure what else TGS have up there but this kid is built, tough and very hard on the ball. All things considered, these guys could realistically see themselves finish midfield. They play Nudgee, State High, BGS and BBC at home, they all hate travelling so I would pencil in those games as ones I want to win, and should win on home turf. Couple of big scalps there too, must use home ground to advantage much more, especially if there is some nice fog, bit of rain or sleet, and a temperature around say negative 2. ST JOSEPHS COLLEGE GREGORY TERRACE: I don't know too much about these guys except to say that I have heard they will be a better side in 2008 that they were in 2007, with a couple of guys returning and a buildup of talent. Who knows, they may threaten the top echelon of sides as well. Again, no info on BGS at this stage, not even any knowledge on whether anyone thinks they will be a better side than 2007. We will just have to see on that one.
From all the information flooding in, it looks like it could be a quite evenly balanced competition in 2008, with Nudgee at this stage clear favourites, but several scenarios that are sure to play out as the season gets underway and moves ahead. Looking forward to it, although I won't be doing the travelling I did in 2007, but that Nudgee vs State High match looks like very compelling viewing.
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WE DON'T STOP PLAYING BECAUSE WE GROW OLD, WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP PLAYING. |
